RefillStatistiken

RefillStatistiken refers to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data related to prescription refills. In healthcare and pharmacy practice, these statistics are used to assess medication use patterns, adherence, and supply chain performance. The term encompasses both patient-level metrics and aggregate, population-level trends.

Common data sources include pharmacy information systems, electronic health records, payer or pharmacy benefit manager claims, and patient-reported refill requests. When multiple channels are involved, data integration and patient matching are critical to avoid double counting.

Typical metrics include refill rate, time-between-refills, medication possession ratio (MPR), proportion of days covered (PDC), primary adherence (initiation), and persistent refill behavior. Other measures include early refill rates, dose changes, and regimen stability. In practice, refills may be stratified by therapeutic area, patient demographics, or program intervention.

Applications include monitoring chronic disease management, identifying patients at risk for non-adherence, evaluating the impact of reminder programs or pharmacist interventions, and informing inventory forecasting and formulary decisions. Refill statistics can support quality improvement, research, and payer analytics.

Methods involve data cleaning, deduplication, and reconciliation across sources, followed by calculation of time-based metrics and cohort analyses. Privacy and security considerations, de-identification, and compliance with health information regulations are essential.

Limitations include incomplete capture of all refills (e.g., over-the-counter purchases, hospital administrations), stockouts, and prescription transfers. Dosing changes, dose-pack dispensing, and changes in treatment guidelines can bias refill-based measures. Therefore, RefillStatistiken should be interpreted alongside clinical data and context.

See also: Medication adherence, Pharmacy claims data, Medication possession ratio, Proportion of days covered.